People in my condo frequently leave books or music or DVDs they don't want in the lobby of the building. The other day I found the complete second season, and have been watching a few episodes, the first time I've done so in more than a dozen years.

I was surprised to find that it stands up reasonably well. Jack Lord is stone awful of course, but the supporting cast isn't bad, and some of the scripts are reasonably intelligent, despite a tendency for "miracle happens here" police work.

Some humorously euphemistic stuff too. In one episode Dano masquerades as a soldier on leave from Vietnam to question a "hostess," and winds up getting loaded and evidently banging her, a pattern which repeats for several days. Of course, being 1960's TV, they waltz around any notion that any impropriety occurred, although the cast members smirk constantly through the appropriate sequences.

And of course there's that great theme music...

All well done crime show. You are either a Jack Lord fan or you aren't. I'm not. I think Hawaiian Eye was more enjoyable for its' time.

Since this series didn't get its legs until the 1970's, a few stars are lost as a 60's show, but even with that said, I never could really get into "Hawaii Five-O". For starters, the screenwriters concentrated too much on McGarrett (Jack Lord) for an ensemble cast, and if memory serves McGarrett spent most of his screen time in the office, leaving most of the real dirty work (and action) to Danno (James MacArthur) and company. With that said, "Hawaii Five-O" had one of the best theme songs for any television show of any decade.

This was generally good stuff with McGarrett, Danno and the rest of the force copping the mopes in paradise. "Book 'em Danno!"

Jack Lord was to Hawaii what John Wayne was to the Wild West. Both were law enforcers. Aloha!

"Book him Dano!"

one of the best cop shows ever!

i consider this more of a 70's show:although it got its start in the 60's it ran the entire run of the seventies and actually lasted into 1980. i want this one on dvd as well.

I loved Hawaii Five-0 while I was a kid, and I still love it now. I think Jack Lord as McGarrett and James MacArthur as Danno had great on screen chemistry together. Sure some of the shows were bombs, but when your on for 12 years, not every show can be great. Overall it was a good show with interesting stories.

Wish they had added William Smith as Kimo before the final season. The guy was built. Book me Kimo!

Best tv theme song in history, better than average show

Used to love the show. Now it's like watching paint dry. It used to be Allright! McGarrett's gonna get the bad guy! Now it's Yeah yeah yeah, McGarrett's gonna get the bad guy.

A good show, I watch it on ch56 here in los angeles and it seems I keep seeing a lot of the same ones over and over. I know there are more since shows, this was on for a number of years. Would like to hear from fans in other parts of the country, do you have the same problem? Is it just the station here in L.A.?

Longest running crime drama....enough said!

great show

The Hawaiian locales and use of native actors gave this show a genuine feel of authenticity, but the acting was just fair and the writing sucked. Jack Lord was a pompous blowhard, which made this show unwatchable most of the time.

oh yes it was they are also making a new Hawaiifive-o movie and it will go on the top 10 so haha.

Yes, Jack Lord over-acted and some recurring themes (e.g the threat of "red" China, stereotyping of potheads) are dated, but the show has much to recommend it. The use of Honolulu -- and occasionally the other islands -- as a backdrop for the show was brilliant and many viewers tuned in simply for glances of the "exotic" island. Much has changed in Honolulu since the show began filming in 1968. The show deserves credit for extensive use of native Hawaiians as actors (in both regular and bit roles), even if McGarrett and Dan Williams were haoles. Finally, the show tackled some "timeless" issues such as terrorism, environmental degradation, and race in a fairly progressive fasion. I was fascinated by this show as a kid, and enjoy watching reruns in syndication to this day.

In my TV mind, this show goes into the top 10 worst shows of all time.

A good show,but yes,it has dated.always interesting to watch,it didn't take itself to seriously,except for Jack Lord.Was there ever an actor more vain or pompous?

Did Jack Lords' blinking substitue for his acting?

book em danno

"Hawaii Five-O" may be among TV's most dated shows. Its characters (especially villains like the infamous Wo Fat and Big Chicken) are cliched, its scenes drawn from an early 70s cameraman's handbook. It continues to run successfully in syndication due to its exotic locale, its dramatic musical score, and the Herculean (at times dictatorial) stamp of its star, Jack Lord. "Book 'em, Dano" became a TV catch phrase, ultimately outliving the show.

The song is cool...I don't remember much else.